A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
Opinion
Re: Welcome excluded us, August 31 letter.
A powhiri is the traditional way to welcome guests. It was an honour for Jacinda Ardern to have had that privilege and Para would have been very proud of all the students and teachers from Gisborne Intermediate for the way they showed theimportance of their culture and the passion that springs forth from it.
Yes, I strongly feel they do deserve a special mention. A video clip was posted on social media with now over 25,800 views, with a wonderful reaction — so I believe credit should be given where it’s due.
There was a public appearance at EIT for all to hear Jacinda and meet her. If you were there you may have asked what it was you really wanted to talk about. If you were not then you lost that opportunity to have your voice heard.
The saying goes there is a time for everything and this time was a moment to be proud of our tamariki. This was their way of expressing themselves to the Labour Party leader through the expression of their langauge te reo Maori. Maybe it’s also a time to discuss the need for te reo to be made compulsory in schools.
A powhiri is beautiful and just like the haka it’s something I am very proud of. It embraces warmth and being able to connect through the knowledge of who you are and where you are from.
This was a clear demonstration from our children of how our future leaders can lead this country forward. Although you may not have understood the formalities of the traditional welcome and felt disheartened by it, I can assure you the atmosphere was electrifying and these children have a memory that will last a lifetime. Children are our life line, they are our future.
